Heart of Hearts
by estrellaSMC
Summary: The story of Avel, an orphan lion cub, and his companions: two lion cubs named Emet and Haor Tov and a young faun named Hayyim. All orphans. All need healing and love. Can Aslan help them? Will they reach him in time? Or will their hopes die with him?
1. Notes and Disclaimers

**Disclaimers:**

**I do not own any of the characters from ****The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe****. They belong to C.S. Lewis and whoever wrote the script for the film.**

**I do not own the characters of Avel/Haver, Emet, Ha-or Tov, or Hayyim. Nor do I own Avel's mother or Emet's sister. They belong to Brock and Bodie Thoene in their books ****Stones of Jerusalem**** and ****Jerusalem's Hope****. All I own are their Narnia representations. I also do not own Zadok, either in Narnian form or human form. All I did was connect the "stone" lion with the name of a character from the Brock and Bodie Thoene books.**

**What happens to Hayyim in the end was my own idea.**

**Many of the scenes and dialog come from the Brock and Bodie Thoene books, modified so they fit into the world and context of what was going on in Narnia.**


	2. Abandoned

It was nighttime. There was no moon, no stars. The sky was covered in clouds. A pair of figures was seen plowing their way through drifts of snow. One was a lioness, the other a male lion cub. Both looked underfed and shabby. The mother's expression was hard and tough. She had lived her life barely surviving. Now, it was time for her cub to learn to live the same way. It was sink or swim time. She did not want him, but she has put up with him and raised him until he was old enough to live without her. They reached a clearing. She turned to her cub, who she never even gave a name to. "You are to stay here," she said to him. Then she started to walk away.

"Mama…" the cub started to say, following her.

His mother's voice drowned him out. "Lo-Ruhamah!" she shouted in the ancient tongue, "You are not pitied! Lo-Ahavah! You are not loved! Lo-Ammi! You are not my people! Don't follow me!"

His ears rang with the cries. _Not pitied. Not loved._ He watched her disappear among the trees. Out of his life forever. No family any more. Nobody to love him. Nobody for him to love. The snow came. It poured out of the heavens. He looked around, frantic to find a place out of the storm. He saw a cave and went over to it. "Hello?" he called. Nobody answered. He walked in, shaking the snow from his fur. Some remained, anyway, and melted, making him wet. It was pitch black in there. The floor was sand and there was nothing else inside for him to bump into. He walked to the back of the cave and curled up in a sodden ball of fur on the floor. There, at long last, he allowed the tears to fall. He curled up tighter than before and cried himself to sleep.


	3. A New Friend

The next morning he was awakened by the sound of hoofed feet approaching. He jerked awake. There, framed in the doorway was another creature. He had seen them before and knew it was a faun. He wasn't very tall, and didn't seem to be very old. The cub guessed the faun was about his own age. "What are you doing here?" the faun asked.

"It was snowing out, and I came in here to get out of it," the cub said.

"Why aren't you at home?" the faun asked.

"Don't have one any more," the cub said. "Mama abandoned me last night." Two tears slipped out as he said this. More continued to course down his face as they spoke.

"Oh," the faun said softly. "You're an orphan, huh? Me too. My parents died a few years ago from sickness." Then he asked, "What's your name?"

"Name?" the cub asked, puzzled, "what's that?'

"What did your mother call you?" the faun asked.

"Just 'you,'" he said, "Except last night when she called me 'Lo-Ahavah.'"

"That won't do for a name," the faun said. Then he looked at the cub and said, "I guess I will name you, then. I'll call you 'Avel,' which means 'Mourner.'" Then he smiled. "I'm Hayyim, by the way."

"What does that mean?" the cub, now called Avel, asked.

"'Life,'" Hayyim said. "My parents said I was their life." For a moment he looked sad himself, but then he smiled, lifted a satchel Avel hadn't noticed off his shoulder, and said, "You can stay with me, Avel, if you like. This place isn't much, but like you said it protects one from the weather."

Avel gladly accepted.


	4. Alone Again

Time passed and Avel and Hayyim grew close. Hayyim taught Avel the places to gather food, and other things he had learned about how to survive. Avel was almost happy. Though he could never quite forget how his mother abandoned him like she had. It still hurt. He still cried about it sometimes, though mostly at night after he was sure Hayyim was asleep.

Avel had helped Hayyim to make the cave more homey. Hayyim had explained that while he'd been orphaned two years ago, he'd been living in the cave for only a few weeks before Avel came.

One day Avel was out foraging for food. He and Hayyim took turns. Today was an especially good day. He'd found several edible plants that grew in winter time, plus he'd had a run in with a beaver. The beaver had been distracted that day and had caught too many fish for himself and his family. He gladly gave the excess to Avel.

When he arrived back at the cave, he was surprised not to smell smoke. Since it was always winter here, they had to keep a fire going constantly in the cave to stay warm enough. The fire was totally out, ashes thrown all over the place. The door was lying on the ground. There were signs of a scuffle, as well as scrapes n the floor as if someone had dragged Hayyim out of there. There was also a piece of paper, but he couldn't read what it said. Avel ran out into the snow again, calling, "Hayyim! Hayyim!" He ran as far as he could, but there was no sign of Hayyim. It was getting dark when he realized the awful truth. Hayyim was missing. He was all alone again. He went into the cave and, just like on the night when his mother had left him, wept.


	5. Two New Companions

A few hours later he was awakened by the sound of paws. He sat bolt upright, his ears straining. Was whoever it was who took Hayyim coming back for him? Then he heard a voice.

"This is it. This is the place, Emet. This is where you must stay," It was a voice of a female. Avel walked forwards until he was standing by the doorway of the cave. The moon was out and he could see it was two lion cubs. One was older than the other. The older one was a female. The younger one was male and was Avel's age.

"What are you doing here?" Avel asked.

The female cub looked at Avel suddenly, "Who are you?" she asked. Avel was silent. The female indicated the young male by her side. "This is my brother," she said. "I can't take care of him any more. I have to leave him here. Neither of us would survive if we stayed together. What else is there?"

Avel looked at the young male cub, obviously Emet. "You don't want to stay here, do you, Emet?" he asked.

"Nuhhh," came the reply. "Nuhhh."

"He doesn't talk," his sister added. "He won't be any trouble, and he doesn't eat much. You must take him."

Avel thought for a while. A companion would be good. Avel would teach Emet to live out here just like he had been taught by Hayyim.

"Can he hear?" Avel asked.

"Some," his sister said. "Reads lips very well if you go slowly. He just can't speak. He'll be no bother."

"Well," Avel said, "All right."

The female was suddenly brisk. "Emet," she ordered, "You must stay here."

"Nuhhh," Emet wailed, then began to cry. "Nuhhhh!"

"Hey," Avel said, coming out into the snow and standing near Emet. Emet looked at him. "I know how you feel, but it'll be all right."

Emet's sister walked away. "Stay here, Emet," she called. "Don't follow me."

"Come with me, Emet," Avel suggested gently, remembering too clearly the night his mother had abandoned him.

Snuffling, Emet followed Avel slowly into the cave. He turned around once and moaned, "Ahgh." It sounded as if he were trying to say the word _sister_.

That night they ate the food Avel had collected that morning and slept together, a small bundle of fur in the back of the cave. The next day they left Hayyim's cave. There were too many memories for Avel. Besides, he could never repair the damage. They started looking for a place of their own.

A few days later they were searching for food when Avel heard a voice say "Who's there?" It was a young voice. Out of a nearby cave came a young male lion cub, just about their age. His fur was filthy and matted. His eyes were marbled white and blue. He was blind. His head wagged back and forth as he tried to sniff out Avel and Emet. "I heard you," he said. "No use pretending you're not there. There are two of you. I know creatures who have fallen on hard times when I hear them. And smell them. What are your names?"

"Pretty good," Avel said. He and Emet each took one step towards the blind cub. "I'm Avel Lo-Ahavah, and this is Emet. He can't talk."

"What are you doing around here?" the cub asked.

"Trying to find…a new place to live. Our old one was destroyed," Avel said. Then, in an attempt to change the subject, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Ha-or Tov, meaning 'Good Light.'" The blind cub laughed, "My mother had a sense of humor, you see. She said I was the light of her life. She didn't mind that I was blind. I've never seen light, but it must be a happy thing. Like laughing. Warm like fire but never burning. We were very poor, but Mother laughed a lot."

"Where is she?" Avel asked.

"Dead," Ha-or Tov replied. "She was the only one who ever wanted me. Now nobody wants me. I was a good light for her, it seems." then he paused. "You two hungry?" he asked.

Emet had been watching lips, so he knew what was going on. He nodded. Avel replied for both of them. "We are."

"Not much here," Ha-or Tov said, indicating the cave he had come out of, "But you're welcome to it. You're also welcome to stay if you like."

Avel shrugged. Ha-or Tov seemed nice enough. Emet seemed to like him. "Sure, why not?" he said.


	6. Some Interesting News

Days passed slowly for Avel, Emet, and Ha-or Tov. Hard days. Cold days. Hungry days. They barely survived.

One day Ha-or Tov came bursting into the cave, his face glowing. Avel and Emet were huddled together for warmth. Avel looked up. "Whatever are you so happy about?" he asked.

"I just heard that Aslan is coming to Narnia!" Ha-or Tov exclaimed.

"Aslan?!" Avel exclaimed. At the name a delighted thrill raced along his spine. "Who's that?"

"You mean you don't know?!" Ha-or Tov cried. "My mother talked often of him. He's the King. He's the Lord of the wood, but not often around, you understand. Neither my mother nor her parents ever saw him or heard of him being here. But I just heard that he's come back. He is in Narnia at this moment. Mama always said he would set things right. Get rid of the horrid witch who says she rules Narnia and makes it always winter."

"What kind of creature is he?" Avel asked, fascinated.

"Aslan is a lion," Ha-or Tov said proudly. "_The_ Lion, the great Lion." Then he added wistfully, "Mama always said that if he came she would take me to see him. And I really mean _see_ him. She said he could."

"Could he heal Emet, too, you think?" Avel asked. "Make it so he can hear and speak?"

"If he can make me see, he should be able to heal Emet, too," Ha-or Tov said.

_But would he?_ Avel wondered. _Would a king care for the likes of us? Orphans barely surviving on the outskirts of his kingdom?_

"We could go to him," Ha-or Tov suggested. He went over to a corner and came back with a rope. It had a loop in it and a piece dangling off. "Whenever Mama and I would go somewhere," Ha-or Tov said, "she'd slide this around my neck and then lead me around by it. If you would do the same, I wouldn't have any trouble."

Avel carefully took the loop in his teeth and carefully slid it over Ha-or Tov's head. "Okay," he said, "Come on, let's go." Then he took the rope lead in his teeth and the three of them set out.

"Do you have any idea where in Narnia he'll be?" Avel asked around the rope clutched in his teeth.

"The creature I heard say he was here said he was at the Stone Table," Ha-or Tov answered. "Don't know where that is, though."

"We'll just have to ask, then," Avel said.

They wandered for several hours. Fortunately there were a lot of creatures to ask who seemed to know where the Stone Table was and gladly gave them directions.

Avel suddenly noticed it was getting warmer. He heard a dripping noise. Ha-or Tov suddenly leaped towards Avel. "Watch out!" he yelled. Avel leaped away from Ha-or Tov. Just in time, too. A pile of snow suddenly fell off one of the trees nearby. Emet hadn't known it was going to happen so he got buried in the snow. However, he wasn't hurt. He floundered his way out from under the drift, laughing, and they continued on their way.

It was amazing just to walk along. Spring was overtaking the land of Narnia. You could actually watch the snow banks melt. Avel could hear the sound of running water of a nearby stream. Leaves and flowers grew on the trees, new grass grew, and plants on the ground produced blossoms. Avel knew that the White Witch that ruled Narnia caused it always to be winter. He knew this meant her power was weakening. Aslan must be closer.

After a bit they came in sight of the Stone Table. Tents were set up all over the place, and creatures were seen hurrying hither and thither. "Wait!" Avel suddenly cried, stopping.

"What?" Ha-or Tov said.

"We can't go to see a king looking like this," Avel said. "We're dirty from the way we've had to live. We need to find a stream and wash ourselves off, first."

They searched and quickly found a stream. They bathed and came out again. Now, they were ready to see Aslan.


	7. Finding and Losing Again

Avel, Emet, and Ha-or Tov crept closer to camp. They saw all the creatures. They saw the two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve that it had been rumored had come. And then, they saw Aslan. Avel tried to describe him to Ha-or Tov, but everyone in Narnia knew that there were no words that accurately described the great Lion. Avel saw Aslan talking to one of the Sons of Adam (who he later learned was Edmund). Then the other three came over. Avel could see him talk to all four of them, but he couldn't hear the words he said.

Ha-or Tov cocked his head suddenly. "Someone coming!" he said. They scurried into some nearby bushes to hide.

Along came a dwarf. A leopard stopped him, they exchanged a few words, and the leopard went into camp. Avel could hear every word, for the bush in which they hid was closer to Aslan than where they had been before. "Sire, there is a messenger from the enemy who craves audience."

"Let him approach," came Aslan's voice. It was a deep, rich voice that Avel somehow felt immediately he could trust. The dwarf was brought into camp and Aslan asked him, "What is your message, Son of Earth?"

"The queen of Narnia and Empress of the Lone Islands desires a safe conduct to come and speak with you," came the dwarf's voice. "On a matter which is as much to your advantage as to hers."

There was a muttering, and Aslan said something quietly in return before turning back and raising his voice again to address the dwarf. "Tell your mistress, Son of Earth, that I grant her safe conduct on condition she leaves her wand behind her at that great oak." A few minutes later the dwarf and two leopards were seen leaving camp.

Then the White Witch came. Avel shuddered and scooted closer to Emet and Ha-or Tov. Avel tuned out what they were talking about because he didn't understand what she was saying. After a bit the White Witch walked back past them, glowing with joy. Avel heard her mumble to herself, "Aslan will be dead," she murmured. "Narnia will be mine forever! Nobody will be able to stop me."

Avel stared after her, shocked. He barely heard Aslan's order to break camp and move to the fords of Beruna. Hope was gone. It would die with Aslan. Slowly he turned to his companions and they walked away from the Stone Table.

They were walking back in the direction they had come when, several hours after leaving the Stone Table, Ha-or Tov heard noise. "The White Witch!" he exclaimed. The three of them ran, none of them watching where they were going. They found themselves in the White Witch's castle. The footsteps grew closer and then suddenly BANG! The gates shut and were locked. Then the footsteps walked away. They were trapped.


	8. Healing

For a while they searched for a way to escape from the witch's castle. They even went inside, thinking there might be some kind of tunnel that would lead to outside the outer walls. There was nothing. All they managed was to get themselves lost in the castle. At last they stopped in an empty room. They were there all night. It was a terrible night. A lonely night. A journey that had started in hope ended in despair for the three lion cubs. Not only would they not be healed, but when the White Witch returned, she would find them and turn them to stone. They fell asleep.

"What was that?" Ha-or Tov cried suddenly, jerking awake, ears twitching. Avel and Emet woke up, too. It was morning. Avel listened. He hadn't heard anything. There were no windows in the room where they were. Just the door they had entered by, closed.

Slowly the noise grew louder. The White Witch returning with her army? It had to be. The three waited together in silent acceptance as the noise increased in volume.

Then, suddenly, a voice drifted up to them in their lonely room. "Now for the inside of the house! Look alive, everyone. Up stairs and down stairs and in my lady's chamber! Leave no corner unsearched. You never know where some poor prisoner may be concealed."

That voice. Something familiar. Where had Avel heard it before? Suddenly the castle was filled with the sounds of running footsteps. The dim light that had been coming from under the door grew brighter. Then there was silence. Avel looked under the door. Had they escaped? His heart leaped into his throat. There, in front of the door, he saw a set of great big paws.

Emet looked under, too. Then he laughed aloud. His eyes were bright with joy.

"What?" Ha-or Tov queried.

And then it came to Avel. The voice. He had heard it when he was under the bush near the camp at the Stone Table. But it couldn't be _him_…could it?

The creature bent and looked under the door. It was a lion. And for the first time Avel caught a glimpse of his face. Amused by the three unseen cubs behind it.

"Aslan!" Avel breathed the name in wonder.

"I was wondering how long it would take," Aslan said. Then he reared up on his hind legs and pulled the door open. Then he stood in the doorway and added, "Want to come out?"

Avel hesitated. "You…aren't a…ghost…are you?" he asked.

Aslan chuckled, "No."

Avel grabbed the rope around Ha-or Tov's neck and dragged him out of the room. Emet, suddenly shy, followed them.

"What? What? What? Where are we going?" Ha-or Tov babbled as he was being pulled along.

"To see Aslan! Ha-or Tov! To see him." Avel crowed. "To talk to him! Emet! To talk to him." Then he said to Aslan, "We've been looking for you! Trying to find you! Emet can't hear! Ha-or Tov is blind!"

Aslan laughed outright. "Truth. Good Light. Mourner. I was searching for you."

Avel began to run to him, stumbling, pulling Ha-or Tov along by the rope. Emet ran behind him.

Aslan's face was radiant with pleasure as they charged up to him. He pulled them to him and gave each one a great lion's kiss, as Avel had seen other lion fathers do to their sons.

All three at first.

Avel began to cry. His tears dampened Aslan's fur.

"My sons," Aslan whispered. Avel burrowed his face against Aslan's chest and heard his heart beating. It didn't matter to Avel how it had happened, but Aslan was alive again. Avel felt Aslan's breath on his fur.

And then. One at a time.

Ha-or Tov first.

The blind cub's fur glistened in the light from the now open window. Aslan cupped Ha-or Tov's upturned face in one of his big paws and studied the white and blue marbled eyes.

What would it be like? Avel wondered. To see for the first time? Could Aslan do it? Make Ha-or Tov see? Create a vision where there had never been so much as a glimmer of light?

Aslan's face was mere inches from Ha-or Tov's. Eye to eye, he was. Then, with the edge of his paw he lightly touched Ha-or Tov's eyelids and said, "Blessed are you Emperor-beyond-the-sea, who has allowed us to live to see this hour…" And then, "All right, now."

Ha-or Tov opened his eyes. Blinked. Raised a paw to his face in awe.

"Tell me what you see." Aslan smiled into his beaming face.

"I see…the Good light! Aslan! Salvation! You!" Ha-or Tov cried.

Aslan nuzzled him on his head and then leaned over and bit through the rope around his neck, which then fell to the floor. With a paw he gently wiped away a tear from Ha-or Tov's cheek. The cub, seeing, stared out the window, at the blue sky. Everything! Everything! Everything! It was all miraculous! To see what he had only heard and smelled and guessed at. His own paws! His claws! His tail! Staring at the stone floor, he traced a crack with one of his claws. He turned to Avel. "Avel?" Then Emet. "Emet?"

"Yes!" Avel cried joyfully. "Yes! We're us!"

Yes. It was Emet's turn.

"What about you, Emet?" Aslan asked, pulling him closer. "Truth must have ears to hear and a voice to speak in such a world as this."

With a confident wink, Aslan laid a paw on top of Emet's head, covering his ears. Emet seemed to have no trouble bearing the weight of it. Closing his eyes, Aslan sang softly, "Blessed are you, Emperor-beyond-the-sea, who has given us a song of truth…" He removed his paw from Emet's head and opened his eyes. "You must sing the song with me, Emet…Say your name."

Emet's mouth worked like a rusty hinge. Finally he croaked the answer, "Truth."

Avel and Ha-or Tov gasped.

Aslan nodded, "And what do you hear?"

"Your voice," Emet answered. Emet and Aslan gazed at one another for one last long silence. Understanding seemed to pass between them. Truth finally had a voice.

Emet leaped joyfully on Aslan, who ducked, causing Emet to fall over. Unhurt, Emet scrambled up and snuggled up against Aslan. Aslan motioned for Avel.

Avel pointed a paw at himself in question. What could Aslan do for him? He could see. He could hear and speak. He was not lame. Not sick. Had no broken body parts.

"Avel?" Aslan called him to his other side. "How did you come to be called Avel Lo-Ahavah?"

"My beloved friend Hayyim gave me the name _Mourner_ when my mother abandoned me. When she called me Lo-Ahavah. Not loved." Avel said.

"And Hayyim?" Aslan asked, "Where is he, Avel?"

"Nobody knows," Avel said. "He disappeared one day. Nobody even remembers Hayyim but me. And so I'm Avel Lo-Ahavah." At this confession of heartache, Avel's lip trembled.

"Ah," Aslan said.

Just then a centaur came running up the stairs behind them. "Aslan!" he cried, "Quick! We found more stone statues! There's a bunch of them! Hurry!" Aslan and the three cubs raced off after the centaur.

When they reached there, Avel, Emet, and Ha-or Tov started looking around. Suddenly, Avel saw it. A statue of a young faun in one corner. Avel went over to it and cried, "Hayyim!"

It seemed as if Aslan was instantly at his side. His eyes. Warm. Deep. Kind. They reached into Avel's soul. "Blessed are you who mourn," Aslan said. "You will be comforted." Then he asked Avel, "Do you believe this, Mourner? Can a fractured heart be whole?"

So this was the broken thing in Avel. Aslan saw it. Found it. Understood it…it was Avel's heart all along.

Sorrow. Despair. Loneliness. A longing for love. Were these wounds harder to heal than eyes that had never seen the light? Ears that had never heard the truth? A voice forever mute? Avel was not sure.

Aslan said, "Avel, even when one non-talking sparrow falls I know…and care."

Aslan did not demand an answer from Avel. He breathed on the statue of Hayyim.

"Avel," Aslan said, "tell me what you see?"

"My beloved friend," Avel said softly, "a stone statue."

Slowly color began to lick its way over the statue. Before Avel knew it, there stood Hayyim, blinking, looking around, looking bewildered.

Aslan asked, "Avel? Tell me what you see."

Emotion choked Avel. He bit his lip, barely able to speak. "I see…Hayyim…Life!"

"Yes," Aslan grinned. Hayyim dropped to his knees and enveloped Avel in a hug. After a few minutes they pulled away. Aslan laid his paw on Avel's head and said, "Blessed are you who mourn. You will be comforted. I came looking for you to tell you that I love you more than anything in the world. Do you believe me?"

Avel nodded. Yes. How could he doubt it? The whole time he had been looking for a chance to talk to Aslan. And Aslan had his eye on him all along.

Aslan looked him in the eye. "From today, I give you a new name. You'll no longer be Avel Lo-Ahavah. But you will be called friend to the brokenhearted. Haver."

Avel, or Haver as we will now call him, stood up. The pain…it was gone. The hurt he had carried with him ever since his mother had left him was gone. For the first time in his life, he felt loved.


	9. Family

Haver, Emet, Hayyim, and Ha-or Tov joined in the search for statues. When it was finally over, they all congregated outside. Ha-or Tov squinted at the sunlight. "What's that?" he asked.

"Just the sun," Emet responded.

"Don't look at it," Haver warned, "You'll go blind again." Then he turned his attention back to what was happening at the gates. He wondered how they were going to get out, since the gates were locked. For that matter, he wondered, how did Aslan and the Daughters of Eve get in? However, he needn't have worried.

"Hi! You up there!" Aslan called to a giant in the crowd. "What's your name?"

"Giant Rumblebuffin, if it please your honor," the giant answered.

"Well then, Giant Rumblebuffin," said Aslan, "just let us out of this, will you?"

"Certainly, your honor. It will be a pleasure." The giant went to the gates, calling out a warning. "Stand well away from the gates, all you little 'uns." Then he started striking the gates with his club. After the gates the towers were knocked over. Then the air was filled with dust and the sound of crashing. When it all finally cleared, Haver could see that not only were the gates demolished, but a good portion of the wall that surrounded the castle was, as well.

They all ran out into the sunshine. After everyone got settled, they found the scent of the battle and raced to the scene. Haver, Emet, Ha-or Tov, and Hayyim all rode in a basket that had been found in the castle. It was hung by its handle on the club of Giant Rumblebuffin, which he carried over his shoulder. When they reached the battle, the giant removed the basket and set it down where it would be out of harm's way and then went charging into the fight. The four of them climbed out and sat on the ground. They just watched. It seemed like a matter of minutes before the battle was over. They had won. Then Aslan and the Daughter of Eve called Lucy set to work, healing the wounded and bringing the stone statues back to life.

Ha-or Tov, on the way to the battle, had swiveled his head all over the place as they had traveled. Now that everything was over, Ha-or Tov settled down so he could absorb all the colors he was for the first time seeing.

Emet was trying to sort out all the different sounds he was hearing. However, soon he realized he couldn't keep all the normal every day sounds in his head. He covered his ears with his paws.

"Don't worry," Haver said, "After a while you won't notice it anymore."

"But I want to hear it!" Emet protested. "All of it! I have to figure out what each thing means!"

Haver shrugged, "Suit yourself," he said. "It was easier keeping track of you two when you were deaf and Ha-or Tov was blind." Emet knew he was kidding when he said this.

Emet observed Haver, he who had once been called Avel, the mourner. He was changed, as if he were not the same creature. Before, his eyes had been perpetually downcast. It had made it difficult for Emet to read his lips. But now! Haver gazed peacefully about him. Sun shone on his fur. His lips curved in a slight smile.

Emet sat there and listened for a moment. Then he turned to Haver. "Is the air always like this?" he asked. "Always singing? So…full?"

"The noise, you mean?" Haver asked. "Yes. Every smell has a sound." Then Haver nudged Ha-or Tov, who was on his other side, including him in the discussion. "And every sound has a color."

Finally Aslan approached them. "Ready, now?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," the four of them chorused.

Even though it had been fun riding in the basket and being carried by a giant, the four of them decided to walk. There was no hurry now that the battle was over, and others that had ridden to the battle were now on foot. Haver, Emet, and Ha-or Tov found themselves near the lion that had been turned to stone. They found out his name was Zadok. They talked easily with him, and he seemed to enjoy their company. Hayyim was likewise engaged in talking with the faun Tumnus. For the two days of the walk from the battle ground to Cair Paravel, the cubs stayed with Zadok and Hayyim stayed with Tumnus. During those two days a hope began to rise in the children. A hope of having a family again.

At Cair Paravel, Tumnus finally asked Hayyim if he'd like Tumnus for a father. Hayyim was thrilled and quickly said yes.

Lucy was nearby and heard it all. She then went over to her brothers and sister and proposed an idea to them. They talked about it and quickly agreed. Then they made a decree saying that if there was an orphan in Narnia and an adult who wanted to take them in, it would become official by Adoption, which had not existed in Narnia before. Then, with much winking and private looks at each other they asked if there was any such potential parent-child pair that wished to come forwards to adopt each other. Instantly Hayyim grabbed Tumnus's hand and charged up front. Many of those gathered laughed. Even High King Peter had to stifle a smile as he performed the new ceremony. Then there came a whispering and a few minutes later Zadok came up with Haver, Emet, and Ha-or Tov and adopted them.

At long last, the orphans had what they had always wanted: family.


End file.
